


Night of the Sakura Tree Hill

by ninhelium



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen, Light-Hearted, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 01:12:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14660148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninhelium/pseuds/ninhelium
Summary: Hinami and Ayato have been childhood friends, growing up in their quaint village situated high up in the mountains. On one night, the two witness an extraordinary event that leaves them spellbound. Hinami soon leaves for the city, but five years later she comes back - only to wonder what was real and what wasn't. AU - Ayato x Hinami - Light fic.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! ninhelium here! Its been a REAL while since I last wrote anything - oh my god, ideas, IDEAS but no time and no motivation xD This is the sucky side of adult-ing, aka, 22-year-old-college-intern-with-too-many-things-to-do-and-zero-time-or-direction.  
> Anyways!  
> Night of the Sakura Tree Hill is a fic I wrote a long time back for the Kpop commnunity. But I no longer write Kpop fics, I've lost interest and I'd rather write about my favorite ships in anime/manga now and in the future.  
> I considered making this a Yatori fic for the Noragami fandom - but I've already written two Noragami fics and Yato wouldn't fit the male character in this story although, the ending would make more sense in the Noragami world. Then I thought, why not make it touken? But kaneki wouldn't fit the male char either so WELP! Ayato x Hinami it is! Besides, this pairing is underrated and I love them so much T_T  
> So with this intro chapter, I hope you like this fic! Please review once I post up the next chapters :3

**Introduction**

 

> _Look at the stars._
> 
> _They're the same stars as last week._
> 
> _Last year._
> 
> _Same as when we were kids._
> 
> _When we weren't even born._
> 
> _In a hundred years,_
> 
> _No one will ever know who we are._
> 
> _But they'll know those same stars._

 

Hinami and Ayato have been childhood friends, growing up in their quaint village situated high up in the mountains. The two share a strong bond despite the quarrels and bickering that have become part of their daily life as they both grow up. They spend a lot of time with each other, and one of their favorite places is the Sakura Tree Hill. Ayato tells her stories as they lie down and gaze at the endless night sky. This is how Hinami and Ayato grow up.

On one night, the two witness an extraordinary event that leaves them spellbound. Hinami soon leaves for the city, but five years later she comes back - only to wonder what was real and what wasn't.

Just a little story about introspection, nostalgia, life in the mountains and the brilliant gift that is the universe.

 


	2. Firefly

> **Firefly**

 

“Hinami!”

 

The young girl continued to work diligently on the fairy lights, her forehead creased with lines as she frowned in concentration. Beads of sweat rolled down the sides of her forehead, and her knees and neck were starting to hurt - but not for the life of her would she stop halfway. The entire village knew how much she loved the summer festival. Her excitement was infectious. However, lost in her focus, she did not hear the annoyed voice calling her, albeit sounding slightly furious by now.

 

“Hinami! __Oi__!” She jumped with a start, finally glancing behind her - only to be greeted by an angry scowl. She smiled.

 

“Hello Ayato.”

 

“‘Hello Ayato’ my ass!” He snapped. “Are you deaf, you dumbass?!” The angry 14 year old stomped over to the 13 year old, still scowling. “I’ve been calling to you for the last 10 minutes!”

 

“Sorry,” Hinami looked apologetic. “I wanted to hang these up but then the wires are all really worn, I had to fix them with tape. I’m still not done,” She gestured at the bundle of fairy lights lying on the porch of the wooden house. “Do you want to help?”

 

Ayato scowled even harder and mocked her. “No, I don’t __wa__ _ _nt to__ _ _help__  with your fairy lights. I have more important work to do back in the fields.”

  
Hinami couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, tilting her head and glancing up at Ayato. “Of course, important work as in raking up the cow dung. I’m sorry I forgot Ayato.”

  
“Like you’re one to talk. One of these days I’ll shove you into it and then we’ll see if you’re still laughing.” He retorted and turned on his heel to make his way home. He paused, “I called to tell you that your Irimi’s looking for you. She’s kinda pissed.” His lips turned up in a superior smirk as Hinami turned around to face him, genuine disbelief clearly visible on her face. Irimi never got mad. __Maybe he was making it up?__

 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He hummed and headed off, his hands shoved into his muddy pockets.

 

Hinami said nothing as she watched him retreat, the sun had almost set and the golden lights of the fireflies had started to dot the air around them. Now between a bush and then high up in the branches of the trees. It was the middle of summer now and Hinami liked this time of the year the best - when everyone danced to music and stayed up well into the night, when you could eat steamed sweet potatoes sitting on the porch during the summer thunderstorms and the weeks were littered with festivals.

 

Ayato’s retreating back would disappear now, his house was just around the next bend.

 

“Wait, Ayato!” He stopped, his eyebrow raised as he turned to look at her. “What?”

 

“Do you want go up tonight?” Hinami’s eyes reflected the last traces of the fading sunset. A breeze ruffled their hair and their light clothes, cooling the day’s perspiration off their skins. Ayato couldn’t see her face very clearly; Hinami was quite a distance away from him now but her voice told him she was eager. It had been a while since they last visited.

 

“Yeah yeah.” He raised a hand in response and trudged up the road, as she watched his figure grow smaller and smaller until the mist engulfed him far off in the distance.

 

 

 -x----------x-

 

 

“Ayato! Hinami’s here!” Ayato woke up with a start and forced his eyes open. He was so tired, his limbs ached and he felt numb and heavy all over – Nishiki had not shown up that morning and he had been forced to till the soil all day. And it was cold too. But that wasn’t very new because up here in the mountains it was always cold, all year around.

  
“Shithead! You get down here right now!” He winced at his Touka’s sharp tone and cursed under his breath. “I’m coming, I’m coming, quit screeching!” Crap, he’d overslept. Grumbling at his own incompetency, he pulled on a faded sweater and ran down the stairs, three steps at a time.

 

“Hey, watch it.” Touka grabbed a hold of his arm when he nearly slipped on the last three steps. “If you break any more bones, we won’t be able to pay for it you know, prick.”

 

“Oh shut up.” The younger boy glared at his sister who was shot an equally venomous glare back at him. “And stop smirking!” Ayato must have blushed a bit because Tsukiyama giggled and held up his hands in mock surrender.

 

“I’m going!” Ayato called over his shoulder as he half ran, half speed-walked to the front door.

 

“Don’t be too late!” Touka called after him, but that received no response as Ayato had already stepped outside. The porch was dimly lit with a light bulbs, but the moon was full and bright, casting a haunting glow on the surroundings. Besides that, there were a million fireflies, flitting in between the dense greenery. His house, just like every other house in the area, was pretty to look at. Simple wooden architecture and minimalistic - and he had never admitted it, but the pretty sakura pattern on the wind-chime that Kaneki had gifted Touka last year was very beautiful. 

 

To say that the mountains were anything less of a natural wonder would be an understatement. Up here, the soil was very fertile and thousands of flowers would bloom in different seasons, coloring the hills with their vibrant hues. Fruits and vegetables in abundance to the point that sometimes nobody wanted them. The conifers were his favorite trees – they remained green all year around and the smell of pine cones always assaulted his nose. Rare fruits and wild berries would grow on the trees and shrubs and the squirrels and birds would get the first pick, and when they ripened and fell, the rabbits would steal them away before any human could have a go. A green carpet of fresh grass was the robe of the hills - friend to anyone who wanted to sit down and gaze at the world below  - and foe, if you ran around on bare feet and the grass was wet. Narrow pathways wound their way around the curvature of the mountains - patterns almost carved into the Earth since people had made the mountains their home. And then of course, modern technology had brought roads into the scenery, hairpin bends around the peaks which had made it possible for people to drive up and down. Early morning brought dense fog and mist, and the sun beat down softly as afternoon and evening wore on. The night gave in to clear, crisp, fresh air and soothing breezes, and a fantastic display of the dots of lights in the night sky. Scores and scores of stars, all twinkling brightly, and the core of the Milky Way, spread out for all the creatures of the Earth to see.

 

It took him a while to realize that there was a figure crouching behind a bush.

 

“What are you hiding for?” Ayato said lazily, his hands shoved into his jeans pockets.

 

“Shhh!” The figure replied. “Keep quiet, you’re loud!”

 

“Touchy.” He sniffed, casually noting that she was wearing the hairclip he’d given her last year as her birthday present - and walked around the bush to see what Hinami was looking at. He crouched down beside her. “What are you looking at?”

 

Hinami sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Then she held out her cupped hands. In it lay a firefly, glowing in pulses.

 

“Ah…” He sighed and traced a delicate wing with his finger. “I see.”

 

“It’s dying.” Hinami’s voice shook, her lower lip quivered, and his eyes rose to meet hers.  “It’s dying, Ayato. It’s over.” A lone tear escaped and rolled down her cheek, falling on to his wrist. He sighed and looked at the firefly again, it’s glowing back flickering. A few seconds passed before the light disappeared. Hinami started crying.

 

“Hey… hey, it’s okay.” Ayato muttered softly into her hair as Hinami’s head leaned against his shoulder. He blew air out of his cheeks and rose a hand to pat her shoulder. The girl had always been a crybaby and she still hadn’t grown out of it. He had to somehow see that she became a tougher person - or she wouldn’t be able to face much of what life would bring her someday.

 

“Why do they have to die so soon?” Hinami hiccuped, her fingers digging a small pit into the soil beneath the bush - a grave for the firefly.

 

Ayato couldn’t say anything to that. He just continued to pat her back and comfort her as best as he could. His parents had died when he and Touka were very young and he had tried to cope with it for years - but he realized that you couldn’t cope with death in any other form other than acceptance. Death was inevitable. “You know…” He craned his neck up to look at the bright night sky.

 

“Some of the most beautiful things we can touch never last long.”

 

The crying faded slowly. A few sniffles. The moon shone brilliantly, its numerous impact craters in stunningly sharp detail even to his eyes.

 

“The things we can’t touch… they last forever and ever.”

 


	3. Summer Triangle

> **Summer Triangle**

 

“Tell me a story.”

 

“Again? I’m running out of stories though.”

 

“Then tell me the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi. ”

 

16 year-old Ayato sighed, as the hair falling over his forehead fluttered in the chilly breeze. It was August and the stars above his head twinkled in all their glory with only faint wisps of clouds twirling in between them like silk strings. His head rested on his folded arms while Hinami lay beside him, knees bent and hands on her belly. Both stared up at the clear night sky from up on the Sakura Tree Hill.

 

The Hill was their favorite place  - their secret place. Though it was called the Sakura Tree Hill, it was actually the edge of a cliff. A large rock on the slopes of the mountain, which had crumbled and eroded over the ages that stopped abruptly in jagged edges and fell away into hundreds of thousands of feet of depth. It was terrifying, especially for the few tourists who occasionally roamed this little known mountain village. But for Ayato and Hinami, it had been a secret haven since childhood. 

 

The cliff was where both of them felt the most calm and peaceful. They often came up during the night, just for stargazing. He would tell her old folk tales and teach her about the stars and constellations. Sometimes she would sing and he would listen. Other times they just lay together in comfortable silence. The cliff was the sixth highest point in their mountain village, the others too dangerous to go up. The edge tipped up like a jagged nose, and a few feet from the edges was a lone cherry blossom tree that had somehow grown out of the rocky stone ground. The locals had thus given the cliff the name of Sakura Tree Hill. It was just the cherry tree, the grey cliff, and the vast universe stretched out above them.

 

“You never get tired of that one do you?” He glanced to his left and Hinami smiled at him. “Well, okay. Here goes.”

 

“A very long time ago, there was-”

 

“How long ago?”

 

“Tch! I haven’t even started yet, don’t interrupt, idiot!” Ayato frowned and Hinami chuckled. It wasn’t that she hadn’t heard all these stories, but she liked it when he told them to her. And he didn’t particularly mind. He glanced at her surreptitiously.

 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Go on.” She smiled and closed her eyes, breathing in the refreshing air.

 

“So a very long time ago, there was a princess called Orihime. She wove these beautiful clothes by the Amanogawa – Milky Way - River. She worked so hard on weaving clothes that she began to feel lonely and sad, soon falling into despair because she thought she would never find love.”  
  
  
“Mhmm.” Hinami hummed, wisps of her short hair blowing in the light breeze, her eyes closed and her face serene.

 

“Princess Orihime’s father was a God of the Heavens and couldn’t watch his daughter wallow in her sadness. He arranged for her to meet up with Hikoboshi, who was a cow herder living on the other side of the Amanogawa River.  The two met and fell in love instantly, and got married. Their love was so deep, that Orihime forgot all about weaving the damned clothes, and Hikoboshi neglected his fat cows, causing them to stomp all over the Heavens.”

 

Hinami squeaked, trying to suppress a laughter at Ayato’s humorous choice of words and his lips turned up slightly. He was pleased.

 

“Can you imagine a herd of cows,” Hinami laughed. “Stomping all over the heavens?! It’s too funny!”

 

“Quit it,” Ayato chuckled and bonked her on the head lightly with his elbow. “You want me to continue or not?”

  
“Go on.”

 

“Because both of them were neglecting their work and spending too much of time with each other, Orihime’s father became angry and forbade them from seeing each other again. This broke the Princess’ heart and she begged her father to let her be with Hikoboshi.”

 

“And?”

 

“And because he loved his daughter a lot, he agreed.”

 

“They could be with each other again?”

 

“Yeah, but on one condition. They could only meet once a year - on the 7th day of the 7th month and only if Orihime continued to weave clothes and Hikoboshi tended to his cows. The first time they were allowed to meet, the Milky Way River was too difficult to cross. Princess Orihime became so upset, that a flock of magpies came and built a bridge for her. So once a year on that date, the two star-crossed lovers cross the bridge and stay together for a single night.”

  
“Which stars are they supposed to be?”

 

“Well, they say that Princess Orihime is Vega,” Ayato raised an arm and pointed out a bright star slightly to their left. “Hikoboshi is Altair, over there,” Another bright star slightly further off. “And Deneb, right there,” A third and final star. “Represents the bridge that brings them together.” Hinami followed his motions with her own fingers and drew a triangle in the air.

 

“These three form a triangle.” He continued. “They call this the summer triangle, even though the stars are part of different constellations.”

 

Hinami sighed, and stretched her arms on either side, one arm falling softly on Ayato’s chest. Both breathed in the cold air and stared at the sky. The very same Milky Way River from the tale was winding its way in the darkness of the sky, the core of it bright and full of dust clouds.  Long moments of silence passed.

 

“It’s strange.” Hinami said, quietly.

 

“What is?”

 

“That right over there,” She raised an arm and pointed at the stretch of the Milky Way. “Lies the center of the galaxy. Right there, there’s a super massive black hole - something so strong, so dangerous that not even light can escape - and that is what is holding this very galaxy together. Holding us together.  And we can almost see this core, in that bright patch right in that very center.”

 

Ayato looked from her, to her outstretched arm that was drawing patterns in the air, to the galactic core. It was true and he had been the first to show her this fact. He was in a way, happy about this - that his love for astronomy had caught on to her as well and that she was keen to learn more about the Universe - it made him happy that he had sparked this interest in her - that he had been the root cause of her love for the subject. But it also made him sad. If anything, Ayato wanted to stop time and stay like this with her - where she would always be by his side.

 

“There’s Sagittarius.” He pointed out the constellation and her eyes followed his fingers.

 

“And there’s Scorpius!” Hinami exclaimed and pointed out a cluster of stars next to Sagittarius. Ayato nodded. He had taught her about Scorpius last year and was surprised she still recognized it.

 

“It’s full of stars. We are definitely in a world too small.” Hinami whispered, her voice barely audible. She had grown to love the stars and the maps of constellations they formed in the heavens because Ayato’s passion for it had infected her like a virus. Sometimes when she drew in her sketchbook, she would draw the constellations or include the subject of astronomy into her sketches in some way and show it to him. The last time she had drawn a beautiful sketch of a wolf, connected by a series of dots much like the way constellations were and Ayato had liked it very much to the extent that he hung it up in his room. She didn’t tell him she had drawn it for him because he reminded her of a wolf under the night sky - dark and mysterious and strong with his bright eyes always looking up, reflecting the cosmos.

 

“Hey, Touka is making some spaghetti with spicy tomato-sauce.” Ayato said casually. “Do you want to come over for dinner?” Hinami looked surprised.

 

“Really? Onee-chan did? But isn’t her cooking… y’know?” She wiggled her fingers and he rolled his eyes.

 

“Yeah she sucks but Kaneki helped __her__  and Tsukiyama was helping __them__  so I guess it won’t be inedible.”

 

“Okay, I’ll come.” She tilted her head and smiled. Ayato’s house was always noisy and filled with laughter and bickering because they ran a cafe. The rooms were all upstairs.

 

They lay in comfortable silence before Hinami sat up slowly. “Um…Ayato have you-”

 

But Hinami couldn’t complete her sentence because at that very second, something stunning and unbelievable unfolded before their very eyes.

 

The cherry blossom trees usually bloomed fully in the month of April and this particular lonely tree was no different - it burst into flowers in April and Ayato and Hinami often spent evenings here. But now it was summer and the tree had but a few sparsely distributed flowers here and there.

 

This night, however, was different. The two teenagers rose with a start and a loud gasp as the tree burst into bloom all of a sudden, flowers spontaneously blooming in clusters in mere seconds. Within a matter of minutes, the tree was covered in various shades of  pink, not a single branch left bare. Boy and girl watched in utter disbelief as the flowers rustled in the wind – which for some reason was strangely stronger – and petals showered all around them, floating serenely. But that wasn’t all. No sooner had the two wonder-struck teenagers brushed off petals from their laps, when the tree began to glow. The trunk lit up like a Christmas tree, an intricately complex system of vessels in magnificent display. Each and every single flower glowed brightly, in a color that wasn’t describable, and the filaments in the center of each bloom  glowed in a stunning shade of purple like tiny shards of glass. A strange sound filled the air, a sound almost magical and other-wordly.  The tree’s glow pulsated for a few minutes like that from dim to bright, the ground reverberating with a soothingly deep sound. The flowers glowed and they continued to fall all around them… until it stopped just as abruptly as it had started. The ground wasn’t vibrating any more, the strange sound had died down, the flowers did not pulse… and the branches were bare once again. There was no trace of the flowers.

 

He was 16, she was 15 and that night, the two witnessed something they would never see again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya :3 Thank you to all those who left the first kudos-es on this story! There will be 3 more chapters all of which I hope to be able to post up in the next two days :3   
> I have always imagined Ayato to be a quiet person, apart from his temper-tantrums at times so hopefully, I have been able to stick with potraying him like that and HOPEFULLLY, you readers find that it's not too difficult to imagine him like this xD


End file.
